


Another Set of Wings

by Asiil, Perrocarne



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Croatoan/Endverse, Alternate Universe - Dark, Canon-Typical Violence, Cas and Future!Dean are in a relationship, Eventual Smut, M/M, Married even, Past!Dean is confused., more tags as the story continues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-12
Updated: 2014-03-12
Packaged: 2018-01-15 12:03:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1304221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asiil/pseuds/Asiil, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Perrocarne/pseuds/Perrocarne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He’d never thought it would be like this. That he’d come to need someone so much- well, someone other than Sam. He’d given up on it years ago. On the thought of a life that included anyone other than himself and his brother. And now he was giving up everything for that.  “I’m sorry.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Another Set of Wings

_Sunday, Present_

 

“Just remember Dean,” The voice was familiar. So familiar it hurt. “You wanted this. You’re the one who came to me. I answered a prayer, and this is your price.” The voice’s white shoe pressed a little harder into his neck making breathing difficult, but Dean didn’t struggle. He didn’t try to roll out from under the weight. He looked blankly up into the lightning streaked sky, past the white suit and the neatly combed hair and the hazel eyes of a man he’d always trusted with his life. “You know, this doesn’t give me any pleasure.” The voice sounded honestly sad.  “He’s screaming for you Dean. Your little brother. He’s begging for your life. Willing to give anything. Everything. But you already made your choice didn’t you? You picked an angel over everyone else. Even little Sammy.” Dean let his eyes slip closed. His mouth opened as he gasped for breath when the man pressed a little harder. His head tipped to the side as he opened them again and he caught sight of boots. For a moment his heart fluttered in panic. It was the first time he’d let himself feel anything other than numb acceptance since he’d walked into the garden.

He couldn’t see this. He wasn’t supposed to see this. Green eyes lifted, following jeans, and a jacket before landing on an even more familiar face than that of the voice above him. The hunter let out a tiny breath. A sigh of relief as the gaze that stared back proved not to be the endless blue he’d feared. His eyes closed.

Lightning flashed again. Thunder rolled it's fury across the sky, and the air snapped with the audible crunch of bones as a sleek white shoe shifted just so. The man turned, slowly, deliberately, looking over to where the hunter’s gaze had last fallen. 

“Oh. Hello Dean.”

 

_Saturday, 10:00 (the day before)_

 

"NO DUMBASS YOUR OTHER LEFT. Shit. Cas, now would be a good time to get us out of here. Dean move!" A shotgun fired and was heard over the radio before the blonde screaming into it remembered to take her finger off the button.

“Christ Skyler, stop yelling at me and find out where the fuck Cas and the other me are!”

The hunter and young woman who he’d been paired with for today’s run were holed up in a department store. Croats were plastered all over the windows and doors, sealing off their escape route. Dean spared a moment to glance sideways as Skyler fired into one display window when it had crumbled under the onslaught of uncaring corpses.  The other him, the future version of himself he’d run into in this fucked up hell hole of an eventual time, and a few others were supposed to be their back up. But he and Sky had been forced through the mall and into another store while the others were stuck outside behind a chain-link fence.

“Helloooooo anyone out there?! Cas?! Dean?!” Skyler called into the machine again before Dean pushed her backwards, gun hitting a Croat square in the face before it could leap at either of them.

“Get back. Use the display cases. Look for a back room, like a store room!”

The woman moved without question as Dean lifted his rifle again and fired.

_“Dean!?Skyler?! Where are you? I’m on my way.”_ The angel’s voice filtered through the radio as the pair slipped backwards.

“Bout time.” Dean hissed back, reaching out to take it from Skyler. “Bring the car with you!”

_“No time. They’re dealing with their own swarm. Stay where you are.”_

Skyler snatched the device back, a shocked almost affronted look on her face. “He’s just gonna charge in here?” She gaped at Dean before yelling into the radio again. “CASTIEL YOU MORON! DON’T YOU DARE CHASE US ALONE. GET THE FUCKING CAR.”

There was no answer and both the hunter and blond shared a look before cursing.

“We have to get him.” Dean growled.

“Obviously. Point and shoot and don’t fucking miss. I’ll find another door.”

 

_Thursday, 2 days before_

 

“So you and him…”

Dean looked up from where he was pressing salt into a few extra rounds. The world didn’t call for it much these days with everything falling to the Croats, but he got his fair share of demons coming after him and Castiel. The angel was mortal now, powerless against his darker counterparts, and Heaven might have been gone, but he still knew things. Things Hell would love to get its hands on. The hunter turned his gaze from the bullets to the younger version of himself sitting at the table beside him. Two sets of green eyes slid over to Cas who was deep in conversation with Chuck and a pretty blond the younger Dean had been introduced to as Skyler. They both watched as she teasingly grabbed a bottle of pills out of the angel’s hands, holding it behind her as he rolled his eyes and reached for it, lips thinning in a grin. His mouth moved as he said something the two hunter’s couldn’t hear and Skyler burst out laughing before handing the bottle back to him. Chuck snorted and added something equally inaudible.

“Yeah. Me ‘en him. You got a problem with that?” Dean turned his attention back to his work and the younger Dean waved a hand as if to brush away the question.

“Whatever. Not like it's me.”

Dean peered up at him.

“Ok… yet. It's not like it's me _yet_. Me ‘en Cas… we’re just friends.”

“Right.” His eyes slid back to the chatting trio just in time to catch on dazzling blue eyes as Castiel turned his attention towards the pair of hunters. There was the slightest smile there, in the tip of his lips, the lines around his eyes. Then he was looking away again and Dean was snorting to himself. “It’s your loss.”

 

_Saturday, 10:00_

 

“What the fuck happened?!”

“I don’t know! He just collapsed. Shut up and help me!” Skyler was on the ground reaching out for Cas who was sprawled against the dirty broken tile of the department store floor. His body was wracked with convulsions, back arching so tight Dean momentarily feared he might actually break it. His jaw was locked and a little blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth where he’d either bitten his lip or his tongue.  It was a terrifying sight, watching the angel’s whole body tense uncontrollably for what seemed like an agonizing eternity before finally going slack with unconsciousness. Dean was on his knees beside him in a second.

“Jesus Christ. Cas, Cas! You still with me? Cas!”

There was no answer and the hunter cursed again before leaning down and collected the man into his arms, sliding him up and over his back with effort before Castiel was looped over his shoulders in a fireman’s carry.  “Come on,” He directed to Skyler “We gotta get outa here. Cavalry’s not coming. We either backtrack or find another way.”

“Backtracking’s just gonna get us killed. Try the west door. I didn’t see anything coming from that direction.”

“All right. Take point. I’ll be right behind you. You hear something, cover my ass or let me know.”

It took them thirty minutes of pausing, hiding, sneaking, shooting and flat out running to finally get free of the building. By then the sun was high overhead, but Dean was just glad to see the sun again at all. The whole time Castiel remained unconscious over his shoulders, unmoving and silent in his unconscious state, and it scared the shit out of the hunter. He’d never seen the angel so out of it. It was just another reminder of how far from his own time he really was.

“Over here!”

A familiar voice called his attention back and he glanced up to see the future version of himself and two others waving them towards the car. The ground was littered with Croats and two of their own as they quickly picked their way to the car. The other Dean’s gaze fell instantly to the angel. Green eyes were hard and cold but the younger Dean could see the flicker of panic there. After all, he knew what to look for.

“What happened to him?” The man’s words were gruff and full of a terror Dean hadn’t heard in his own voice since he’d last lost Sam.

“Seizure.” Skyler spoke up, throwing the pack they’d collected into the van and gesturing for the younger Dean to slide Cas into the back.

“Shit.” Dean hissed. “I thought he’d gotten better.”

Skyler shook her head, but not to disagree. “I think… I think he was running out… of the pills. Withdrawals… they’re not pretty.”

Dean gestured for everyone to climb in, making room for the younger version of himself as he hopped into the van and pulled Cas into his lap, pillowing his head back against his chest. “Dan! Get us out of here.”

 

_Saturday, 16:00_

 

There was no heart monitor to fill the room with a steady rhythm of sound. No pulse of a ventilator or distant hum of a busy hospital to ensure waiting family that they were in a place that healed the wounded and cared for the sick.

There was only silence.

Dean stared down at the angel, pale and thin against his sheets. Castiel didn’t move. He didn’t shift in his sleep. His eyelids didn’t flutter through dreams. The only assurance the hunter had that he was alive was the gasping rise of his chest as he painfully sought out breath.

A shift of fabric reminded the man that another person was in the room. The younger Dean stood behind him, leaning against the wall, arms crossed against his chest, equally silent. Both men kept their attention focused on the unconscious angel. Finally the older man spoke.

"Zach said he was gonna send you back right? To oh nine?"

"Yeah."

"Well... when you get back home... I want you to tell him... hear me?"

"Tell him what?" The younger Dean didn’t ask who the other man was talking about. It would always be Cas. 

"I want you to tell him that you love him. That you always have. And don’t try to pull your mumbo jumbo bullshit about straight and not gay. Cause we both know it’s a load of crap."

"But if I tell him..."

"Look around you man! If you don’t this is what happens! This! And there isn’t a God damn thing I can do to stop it. But you can."

"You know what he’s like though... stick up his ass... flighty... hell, he probably won’t even stick around long enough for me to say one word..."

"You have to." Dean turned to look at the younger version of himself. "We were... I was cocky. So fucking sure that he'd always be there.” His voice grew quieter. “Don’t even try to tell me you don’t think it. He's a fuckin’ angel after all right? And he's already come through so much. We all have. So what could go wrong....I’m begging you. When you go back. Tell him. Grab him by his fucking stupid ass trench coat shove your tongue down his throat and tell him you're never letting go." He turned back to Cas and brushed his fingers over his shoulder and arm. "But you won’t. Because I didn’t... Because that’s just not us is it...."

The angel took another desperate gasp of breath shifting for the first time in hours, his fingers coming to rest against the side of Dean’s leg.

 

_Saturday, 17:00_

 

“I know you can hear me you son of a bitch. So I’m prayin’. Begging… whatever. I want to make a deal with you.” Dean’s words growled out into an empty field. The truck he’d driven there stood silent behind him. Everything was quiet and he was getting so fucking tired of it. Tired of the emptiness that only filled with more and more bodies every time they went out on a run. Then there was a whoosh of wings and the hunter turned slightly, green eyes falling on a face he hadn’t seen in years.

“Dean. How nice to see you. You’re looking quite well… oh… but…” A frown pulled at the brows of the taller man but Dean was under no illusions that it was his brother he was speaking to. “You hurt… internally.” There was always something about the devil. Something in the way he moved, the way he spoke that looked and sounded so sincere you couldn’t help but wonder why you didn’t believe him.

“Thanks for pointing it out Dr. Phill. I didn’t come here to chit chat about my feelings.”

“No…. you didn’t. How can I help you, Dean?”

“You know why I’m here.”

Lucifer tipped  his head slightly. “Castiel.”

“That’s right. I want you to fix him. Grace, wings, addiction… everything. Even if you have to put him in another vessel. I want him whole and alive.”

“And why would I do that?”

Dean was quiet for a moment before he breathed . “Because in return, you can have me.” There wasn’t any hesitation in his offer.  Not the slightest bit of reluctance in his words. “And I don’t want to hear any of your ‘why would I want you?’ crap. It won’t work. I’m still the righteous man. I’m still a soul your little goons couldn’t hold on to. I’m a mark on your clean slate and you want it gone. I know you do. So… you give me what I want, and my soul is all yours.”

The angel stared at him for a long moment though his expression never changed from that of interested observation. “I’m not a demon Dean. I won’t give you ten years.”

“I never asked.” The hunter replied instantly.

Lucifer seemed to accept that.  “All right. You have tonight. Castiel will be healed and tomorrow you bring all your best. My brother and your replica included. We kill this resistance now… and your angel lives.” He reached out his hand with a soft smile. “Do we have a deal Dean?”


End file.
